Pretty and picturesque like a pearl in a Pandora’s box of rocks … The South African Cape West Coast is the burial-ground of many a shipwreck and Paternoster is believed to have been given its name due to this fact. In Latin the name means ‘Our Father’ and people believe that many Catholic Portuguese seamen’s desperate prayers started with ‘Paternoster’ as they realised their ships are being gutted by the problematic rocky coast and running aground our troubled shoreline. Others believe that the name refers to the beads, called ‘paternosters’, which the indigenous Khoi tribes wore. Also, the place was marked on an old map of Pieter Mortier (an 18th-century mapmaker and engraver from the Northern Netherlands) as St Martins Paternoster. Whatever the case may be, Paternoster is one of South Africa’s oldest fishing villages and cute as a button.
Paternoster is situated 15 kilometres northwest of Vredenburg, with the Cape Columbine Nature Reserve located just southwest of the dainty little village. The nature reserve has kept this stretch of incredible countryside untainted by development and the lighthouse (the only brick and mortar in the reserve) is a beacon amidst the huge round rocks inside the bays. It is the last manned lighthouse built on the South African coast, commissioned on the 1st of October 1936. Both the headland and lighthouse derive their name from the barque Columbine that was wrecked 1.5 kilometres to the north, on the 31st of March 1829. Locals still lovingly refer to Cape Columbine as Tietiesbaai – whether it is due to the round rocks resembling women’s breasts, or named after Jacques Titius (a French trader in the area at that time) is debatable … However, everyone agrees that the Cape Columbine Lighthouse shines comforting and bright in their night sky because it was the first to receive three navigational aids (light, a fog signal and a radio beacon) as well as a lens system designed for use with a 4 kW incandescent electric lamp.
Dolphins and whales can be seen in season, the unspoilt beaches provide nesting sites to the endangered oystercatcher, and Paternoster offers some of the best kayaking available. Local delicacies such as crayfish, black and white mussels, and snoek (an extremely tasty white fish) are very popular. There are no less than 19 top-quality restaurants, more than 15 shops, and the Paternoster Art Route features outstanding artwork by talented locals. Strict architectural guidelines ensure that the fisherman-influenced architecture is retained, which is part of the appeal of the village and makes Paternoster one of the most sought-after coastal towns in South Africa.
